A Prologue
by The Animanga Girl
Summary: How did Amell, a mage born from a noble family in Kirkwall, ended up in the Ferelden Circle, Kinloch Hold? Part 4 of The Amell Chronicles


Tragically I don't own Dragon Age, because if I did a lot of things would be different…

.-.-.-.

For the longest times Amell considered herself an orphan. Why wouldn't she? Most of the children in the tower were, and as a mages she was by all intends and purposes Chantry property. Maybe at some point during her childhood she remembered her family but a child can only keep memories for so long. Her time as Kinloch Hold had been spent with her nose deep inside the books.

She had been Irving's apprentice for a reason.

However, just because she was compliant that didn't meant she didn't dreamt of the outside world. The sea called her and the shores of Lake Calenhad were a poor replacement for the vague smell she remembered from her time before the circle. Things accelerated when she turned seventeen, Jowan's strange behavior and her Harrowing started a domino effect that culminated with her slaying the Archdemon of the Fifth Blight at the top of Fort Drakon. Her silver tongue had guaranteed Ferelden and herself steadfast allies. Not to mention a begrudging place in the court, and in the bed of the grey warden Fereleden now called king.

Alistair had been the joy of her life, she loved the man, and he was probably the only reason she would be willing to discard her life, her pride and dignity for. The Maker decided to smile slightly at her as the feeling was mutual. With the task of rebuilding Ferelden, administrating Vigil's Keep, Amaranthine, and to some extent Soldier's Peak, she hardly had the time to start digging into her own forgotten family tree.

It wasn't until six years after the end of the Blight that the name Amell begun to sound loudly in Thedas. Victoria Marian Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall had, according to stories, single-handedly defeated the Arishock that had been stranded In Kirkwall for years. The family tree of the champion shortly began circulating. That she was the eldest granddaughter of Lord Aristide Amell, the man who would had been Viscount, and a man that on his time was respected in all of the Free marches.

The man who had lost everything to magic.

Not because he had been a mage, but the scandal of having his elder daughter run off with an apostate to Ferelden. Followed by yet another scandal of his brother going bankrupt in an attempt to free his son from loans given by a criminal organization. Aristide's hope for the family name laid in his son and niece. His son Gamlen, while tried his best could compare with his sister charm and his gambling problem only dampened the family name further. That his commoner wife left him passed almost unnoticed.

The killing blow had come from the only saving quality the family still had. Revka Amell. If someone were to bring the family's name back it would be her. She married a respectable man, Herman Debden, a wealthy merchant from Starkheaven. For seven years since the marriage Revka kept the family name afloat.

Then magic stuck again. This time manifesting in the eldest daughter of Revka, Ania Amell. Funny how a very simple event can catalyze thousands of other events. The heavily pregnant Revka Amell had been leaving the Chantry in company of her three children. While she was concentrated in her babe, a one year old baby girl called Johanna, siblings Ania and Patrick separated from her mother. Revka was never able to see the man who took her son, but little Ania did and in her fancy dress gave chase to man taking her little brother. She was scared, she was angry and without thinking it set the offending man on fire, in broad light of the Templars of Hightown.

The mother of the children appeared shortly tears filling her eyes at the six years old girl who was mesmerized by the fire on her hand.

"Mother, look what I can do!" smiled the girl happily

They disappeared quickly, but word spread like a pox. Not four hours had passed when Knight Commander Guylian himself showed at Revka Amell's home.

"I have come to take the mage" she said emotionlessly, her gaze hard.

"Please!" cried the mother clasping her confused daughter had tightly. "She is only a child!"

"More reason to fear, a child cannot control their emotions, they will turn into abominations at one mere tantrum, that's why she belongs with a circle with her kind"

"She belongs with her family!" she argued

"Let me make something very clear Serah Amell, if you refuse to give us the mage you'll be harboring an apostate, a crime punishably by hanging in the Gallows, and we will still take the mage. So it is up to you if you want to make thing easy or difficult." The man showed no empathy in his hard eyes.

"Wait no!" she said rubbing her belly, tears falling freely from her eyes. "Ania, let's go pack your things"

"Nonsense, we are taking her now" said the Templar gesturing to the two other Templar accompanying him "Stannard, Alrik, take the girl"

The female Templar grabbed the girl's shoulder. "Let's go"

"Mommy, I don't want to go!"

"Ania Solona Amell" she said grabbing the girl by the shoulders "You are going to need to be very very brave, yes? You are an Amell, you should behave like one"

"Proud and kind, swift with enemies and gentle with the allies?" asked the girl repeating the family motto, thru her flowing tears and constant hiccups.

"Yes, just like that" she said connecting their foreheads, "Mommy loves you, very , very much, you are going to be a wonderful mage, people are going to say a lot of things, but always remember mommy loves you very, very much and mommy is very proud of you little falcon."

The connection was rudely interrupted by the Templars moving the girl. Revka followed after them.

"Don't forget Ania, you are an Amell, be proud, and promise me you will take care of yourself!"

Many people had stopped to see the development, the proud Revka Amell reduced to tears and begging in the street following after Templars who refuse to acknowledge her presence.

"I promise mother, I will make you proud!"

When the girl's father returned he found his wife weeping fiercely on the floor. Thru hysteric tears she explained what had happened. Herman paled.

"Our girl cannot stay in that circle, I've heard terrible stories, and if she is to be a mage we need her to be safe, I have contacts in Ferelden…"

"Ferelden?" asked Revka "They have a circle even after Orlais…"

"Yes, and for that very reason they are looking for mages even under the rocks, it won't be cheap, but we may be able to get Ania to the Ferelden Circle, it's just by Lake Calenhad, but it is one of the more open Circles, if she has a chance it's in Ferelden"

Revka seemed hopeful for the first time in days. "Do it Herman, take my baby out of that horrid circle"

And so, with some well-placed bribes and charms, Ania Solona Amell was shipped across the Waking Sea, arriving to Kinloch Hold, arriving with nothing more than the clothes she was wearing.

When she set foot inside the tower she was greeted by two bearded men. She jerked and twisted to stay away from the man in armor.

"Not need to be afraid child" said the man in green robes.

"He is going to hurt me!" she said pointing at the other bearded man "Smack me for crying!" she said trembling.

Both man widened their eyes.

"She comes from Kirkwall sir" said the local Templar who had received the child in Highever "Very strict from what I heard"

Understanding washed over the two men.

"No need to worry child, no one will hit you here" said Irving with a gentle smile

"Without cause" murmured Gregoir

"Gregoir!" scolded Irving, now directing his sight to the trembling child "Knight Commander Gregoir can appear intimidating child, but he has a good heart and has a preference for Almond cake"

"Irving!" said the Templar with red in his cheeks, either of anger or embarrassment. And for the first time in two weeks the little Amell girl smiled. Irving's face relaxed in relief, even Gregoir eyes softened a little.

"As my friend here just say, I am First Enchanter Irving, I assume they explained how circle work back in Kirkwall" said Irving, taking the girl's hand, "Each circle works differently, but you'll learn things as days come by, do you have any particular question?"

Amell nodded.

"Yes, messere" she said looking at Irving very attentively "Is there any spell to change the color my eyes to blue?"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Amell woke up, with a thin layer of sweat covering her entire body. She hadn't dreamt of her childhood for a long time, why now of all the times did those blue eyes haunted her?

"Amell, are you alright" asked a sleepy voice next to her.

"I am fine Alistair, just a nightmare….I think"

"Darkspawn?" he asked turning around to face her

"No, just my childhood" she said falling back to bed again, not bothering to cover her naked body.

"I have those too, not exactly the most pleasant ways I like to spend my nights…" he said one had caressing her naked torso.

"Really?" she asked rising an eyebrow "Again?"

"I am a weak, weak, man with the most powerful woman in Thedas naked in my bed" he said taking her hand and kissing it.

"His majesty is incorrigible" she said turning on her side to face him.

"That I am, my dear" he said with a smile

"I'll be checking with Avernus next week, any message from your part?"

"Tell him he is creepy and unsettling" he said making a disdained face.

"Will do, how are things going for the Anniversary Ball?"

"Amell that's in three months, no need to be worried so much" he said as his hand traveled to her hip.

"Are the invitations out?" she asked without minding his climbing hand

"Yes dear"

"Oh, good"

"See, everything is going to be alright" he said as his hand now took a journey upward.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Late…or early, I guess, the sun is not even rising" he said peeking at the window

"You are leaving in the morning, at this pace you'll fall asleep in your horse back to Denerim" she scolded lightly.

"I shall take the risk" he said making that smile he knew she couldn't resist.

"Alright, as Warden Commander, I will allow your request Warden Alistair" And with that he rolled over her.

"Much obliged Commander" he said as he kissed her deeply.


End file.
